Page 23 of Inevitable Love
Hell yeah, my girl is ready to tackle that fear like the badass she is.
I motion for the others to lead the way. Turning my back on the flirty look the last one gives me, I let Maggie go ahead as we climb the ladder. At the top of the platform, the guide goes through the steps one more time. We’re huddled in close together. With so many people, I’m forced to stand directly behind Maggie. She takes a step back, and I place a hand on her hip to still her, but not before her back brushes my front.
If I wasn’t before, I am instantly aware of the way herleggings leave little to the imagination and the way her lush curves feel against my solidly growing cock.
Shit. She was the one worried about the way the harness fit before, and now I’m the one worried, because there’s no way she can’t feel my erection pressing into her ass. She glances over her shoulder at me, brows reaching her forehead. I shoot her a wink.
“It’s a great ass,” I murmur into her ear, because she’s there, and my adrenaline is already pumping at what’s to come. Having her pressed against me is just a bonus. She huffs a laugh and shakes her head at me like I’m ridiculous, but I catch a blush turning her cheeks pink before she faces the launch platform. I am instantly intrigued. I swear I’ve seen that hue before, but after that night, it means something entirely different now.
Is it possible Maggie has been hiding an attraction to me? Or have I been a dumbass worried about hiding my attraction to her, and we are both fighting a losing battle?
My sister hangs between us like a wet blanket, but despite the threat of Alice’s wrath, a little flirting never hurt anyone. And if my flirting results in more of those blushes, I’ll consider it a win.
One by one, the women step off and begin their flight. And then it’s Maggie’s turn. She looks at me one last time, and my chest clenches. She’s scared to death and still doing this anyway. I’m so fucking proud of her.
This is what makes me come back time after time to do adventures with her. She might be scared, but she faces her fears and owns them.
Her shoulders hitch like she’s taking a breath, which makes me hold mine. She’s doing her calming-breath thing, but is she really going to take flight? Or am I going to back down this ladder with her and buy her a vat of her favoriteice cream and let her pick a movie to make up for this epic way I’ve challenged her. She exhales a gush of breath, and then she flies.
I wait an extra second after the guide clears me to take my turn, because Maggie is whooping and laughing, the sound taking flight and echoing through the valley. I couldn’t stop the stupid grin on my face even if I wanted to.
She’s waiting for me at the next platform and jumps into my arms as soon as I land, her voice shrill in my ear as she exclaims, “That was awesome.”
And for a brief moment, all is right in the world again. She’s here, in my arms, and so fucking happy. I hold on longer than necessary. The way she vibrates with energy and joy is such a fucking turn-on that I don’t care if I don’t do another run, as long as I get to see her beaming with exhilaration like this.
A throat clears behind us, and she withdraws slowly. Our eyes lock, holding for an agonizing second. My gaze falls to her lips, to the smile that still lingers, and I’m struck by the overwhelming urge to kiss her.
I drag my eyes away, focusing on the edge of the platform. The longer we keep that connection, the more she’ll see.
“You want to go first this time?” she asks.
What I want is to be in two places at once—on this side as she gets ready to fly, and on the other end waiting to catch her. It’s that promise that has me nodding.
The payoff is actually seeing the joy on her face as she nears. Hell yeah. I fucking put that smile on her face.
I catch her at the next landing, as high from the full-body contact as I am from the actual zip-lining.
We ride the zip line system for a solid two hours, alternating who goes first. Every time I hear her shout inexcitement, every time she meets me at the next platform, is better than the last. I can’t remember a time I’ve felt this light. Not even the pranks Cal and I play against Kate and Leo at the station bring this much satisfaction.
“You guys want to continue the fun?” the guide asks as he leads us back to the main office. “We can add in a ropes course.”
I give Maggie my best puppy-dog eyes. She knows how much I fucking love ropes courses. And my girl doesn’t disappoint. She gives me exactly what I wish for.
“Jax, I can’t.”
We’re standing on yet another platform, facing a rope bridge of sorts, and she’s back to letting her fears control her. “Mags, babe. You’ve totally got this. You’ve ridden all those zip lines. Why are you freaking out now?”
“Because…” she squeals.
I can’t fathom how this is any different from what we’ve spent the last few hours doing, but she’s shaking like a leaf. “Would it help if I went first?”
The rickety-looking suspended bridge is kind of daunting, so she’s not wrong in being intimidated. But she’s battled every fear she’s had today, and I’m not letting her back down now. I take two steps out onto the bridge, wait for it to stop shaking, do a quick assessment for safety, then pivot to her.
“Just take it nice and slow. Trust me. Trust yourself. You’ve got this.”
“What if I step onto it and can’t balance?”
“You can.”
